{"id":23,"date":"2024-10-01T21:21:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-01T21:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/?p=23"},"modified":"2025-09-28T21:23:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-28T21:23:26","slug":"chessboard-magic-october-2024-update-halloween","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/01\/chessboard-magic-october-2024-update-halloween\/","title":{"rendered":"Chessboard Magic: October 2024 Update (Halloween)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Hello, chess lovers! After spending close to 520 hours of coding and continuous development on Chessboard Magic, I\u2019m taking a well-deserved short break. But before I do, I wanted to share some exciting milestones and updates with you!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Stats<\/strong>&nbsp;since launch (around 5 month ago)<strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Users:<\/strong>\u00a0Just over\u00a0<strong>4k<\/strong>\u00a0users and growing!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Page Views:<\/strong>\u00a0Just over\u00a0<strong>35k<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Game Plays (include tools access):<\/strong>\u00a0Just under\u00a0<strong>75k<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I couldn\u2019t have made it this far without your support. Now, let\u2019s dive into what\u2019s new on Chessboard Magic.<br>Visit:&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/\">Chessboard Magic<\/a><\/strong><br>Please do leave me any thoughts, comments and feedback, as your help would be awesome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/HollowLeaf\/blog\/chessboard-magic-october-2024-update-halloween\/8DZ1ZBXB#new-games-and-updates\"><\/a>New Games and Updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m thrilled to introduce three&nbsp;<strong>brand new games<\/strong>&nbsp;that I\u2019ve added to the site:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/handandbrain\">Hand and Brain<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0Play a fun variant where the engine acts as the brain, telling you which piece to move, but you choose the specific move.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/guessthemove\">Guess The Move<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0You are shown a position and need to guess the best move according to an engine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/guesswho\">Guess Who<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0You are shown a picture, and your task is to select the correct name of a famous chess personality from a list of options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to these new games, I\u2019ve made some&nbsp;<strong>minor updates<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/guesstheeval\">Guess the Evaluation<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0Now shows both the engine\u2019s numerical evaluation (e.g., White is Winning, Equal, etc.).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/openingexplorer\">Opening Explorer<\/a><\/strong>: Now shows the Stockfish Evaluation bar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/pgnviewer\">PGN Viewer<\/a><\/strong>: I have also built a simple PGN Viewer (which I hope to make far more useful in the future)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Various\u00a0<strong>cosmetic tweaks<\/strong>\u00a0to several other games, including improved visuals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The site has also been given a\u00a0<strong>splash of colour<\/strong>\u00a0to enhance the user experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Several bug fixes (thank you for reporting to me).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/HollowLeaf\/blog\/chessboard-magic-october-2024-update-halloween\/8DZ1ZBXB#chessboard-magic-goes-pwa\"><\/a>Chessboard Magic Goes PWA!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m excited to announce that&nbsp;<strong>Chessboard Magic<\/strong>&nbsp;has now been converted into a&nbsp;<strong>Progressive Web Application (PWA)<\/strong>! But what does that mean for you?<br>A&nbsp;<strong>PWA<\/strong>&nbsp;allows you to&nbsp;<strong>install Chessboard Magic directly onto your device<\/strong>\u2014whether it\u2019s your phone, tablet, or computer. You\u2019ll notice a new&nbsp;<strong>install button<\/strong>&nbsp;on the website. By clicking this button, all the essential files from Chessboard Magic are downloaded onto your device. This means you can&nbsp;<strong>access and play all your favourite games much faster<\/strong>, and even if you\u2019re offline or have a poor internet connection, you can still use most of the site\u2019s features!<br>The total install is around&nbsp;<strong>30MB<\/strong>&nbsp;(mainly due to the images used in the games and puzzles). But once downloaded, everything will load much quicker, and you won\u2019t need to rely on your internet connection to access it.<br>Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Visit Chessboard Magic<\/strong>\u00a0on your preferred browser.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019ll see a prompt or a button to\u00a0<strong>\u201cInstall App\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0in the menu (download button at the bottom) \u2014click it!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once installed, Chessboard Magic will appear just like any app on your home screen (on mobile) or as a shortcut (on desktop).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Now you can open it\u00a0<strong>with a single tap or click<\/strong>, and you won\u2019t need to reload the site each time\u2014it\u2019s ready to go!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether you\u2019re on a plane, traveling without Wi-Fi, or in a place with poor signal,\u00a0<strong>Chessboard Magic is at your fingertips<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This new feature makes it easier than ever to practice, play games, and explore all the content Chessboard Magic has to offer\u2014<strong>anytime, anywhere<\/strong>, with or without the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/HollowLeaf\/blog\/chessboard-magic-october-2024-update-halloween\/8DZ1ZBXB#expanding-language-support\"><\/a>Expanding Language Support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve heard from many of you asking for Chessboard Magic to be available in more languages, and I\u2019m excited to share that this is now a reality. You can now enjoy Chessboard Magic in&nbsp;<strong>French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi,<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Vietnamese<\/strong>&nbsp;(I am Vietnamese).<br>With this update, users from around the world can explore and play in the language they\u2019re most comfortable with.<br><strong>Here\u2019s what\u2019s new:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Language Options:<\/strong>\u00a0You can now select your preferred language directly from the menu.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Translations<\/strong>: Most of the site\u2019s content has been translated (with assistance from ChatGPT), but please feel free to reach out if you notice any unusual or incorrect translations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Automatic Language Detection:<\/strong>\u00a0Chessboard Magic will automatically choose the language based on your browser settings, but you can change it anytime if needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This update is part of my ongoing effort to make Chessboard Magic more inclusive and accessible to everyone, no matter where you\u2019re from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/HollowLeaf\/blog\/chessboard-magic-october-2024-update-halloween\/8DZ1ZBXB#full-catalogue-of-chessboard-magic\"><\/a>Full Catalogue of Chessboard Magic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the complete list of games, tools, and learning resources currently available on Chessboard Magic, all free with unlimited usage:<br><strong>Games (12):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/anagrams\">Chess Anagrams<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/chessslide\">Chess Slide<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/crossword\">Chess Crossword<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/hangman\">Chess Hangman<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/wordsearch\">Chess Wordsearch<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/guesstheelo\">Guess the Elo<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/guesstheeval\">Guess the Eval<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/guessthemove\">Guess the Move<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/guesstheopening\">Guess the Opening<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/guesswho\">Guess Who<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/imagepuzzle\">Image Puzzle<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/playtheopening\">Play The Opening<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Analytics (2):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/userscout\">User Scout<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/opponentprep\">Opponent Prep<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Learn (3):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/handandbrain\">Hand and Brain<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/notationtrainer\">Notation Trainer<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/chessresources\">Resources<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Library (7):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/classicgames\">Classic Games<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/miniaturegames\">Miniature Games<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/worldchampionships\">World Championships<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/glossary\">Chess Glossary<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/quotes\">Chess Quotes<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/basicrulesofplay\">Basic Rules of Play<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/competitiverulesofplay\">Competitive Rules of Play<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tools (4):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/fischerrandom\">Fischer Random Generator<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/gifgenerator\">Gif Generator<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/openingexplorer\">Opening Explorer<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chessboardmagic.com\/pgnviewer\">PGN Viewer<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, I have been pretty busy (28 items to explore in total as well as learning Web Development and building out the platform).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/HollowLeaf\/blog\/chessboard-magic-october-2024-update-halloween\/8DZ1ZBXB#coming-soon--learning-platform--ai-integration\"><\/a>Coming Soon \u2013 Learning Platform &amp; AI Integration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m very excited about what\u2019s coming next! My goal is to create a&nbsp;<strong>learning platform<\/strong>&nbsp;tailored for people like me who started chess as adults. I began my chess journey 3 years ago and have worked my way up to a&nbsp;<strong>2000 rating in Rapid<\/strong>&nbsp;on both Chess.com and Lichess. While I\u2019m not a titled player, I\u2019ve developed my own methods of studying and improving, and I\u2019m eager to share those insights with you.<br>In addition, I\u2019m exploring the integration of&nbsp;<strong>AI<\/strong>&nbsp;or a&nbsp;<strong>Large Language Model (LLM)<\/strong>&nbsp;into the&nbsp;<strong>User Scout<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Opponent Prep<\/strong>&nbsp;tools. Both tools are currently in their Alpha versions, but I believe there\u2019s a ton of untapped potential here to enhance your chess preparation. I will be releasing my first attempt called Minerva, which will eventually be an open source project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/HollowLeaf\/blog\/chessboard-magic-october-2024-update-halloween\/8DZ1ZBXB#a-heartfelt-thank-you\"><\/a>A Heartfelt Thank You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for being a part of this magical journey. Since our launch on May 27, 2024, we\u2019ve come a long way with your support, and this is only the&nbsp;<strong>fourth release<\/strong>. Your feedback and engagement have been invaluable, pushing me to keep improving and expanding Chessboard Magic.<br>If you\u2019ve enjoyed my site, please&nbsp;<strong>tell a friend<\/strong>&nbsp;about it,&nbsp;<strong>share it on social media<\/strong>, and help spread the word. Stay tuned for more updates, and until next time\u2014happy chess playing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Warm regards,<br><strong>Toan Hoang (<a href=\"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/HollowLeaf\">@HollowLeaf<\/a>)<\/strong><br>Creator of Chessboard Magic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hello, chess lovers! After spending close to 520 hours of coding and continuous development on Chessboard Magic, I\u2019m taking a well-deserved short break. But before I do, I wanted to share some exciting milestones and updates with you! Key Stats&nbsp;since launch (around 5 month ago): I couldn\u2019t have made it this far without your support. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23\/revisions\/25"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chessboardmagic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}